how do you choose a mechanic?

jT · Post by jT » Thu Oct 11, 2007 1:36 am

open ended question i guess

mechanics are $$ to begin with.. labor is definately not cheap.. but how do you get a mechanic to do what you want them to do, not do what their policy is..

i.e. when i called a couple places about doing my axle they would not use an axle i supplied.. they would only use an axle that they ordered for me .. with the BS excuse that if the part i gave them wasnt right blah blah blah.. either way theyd still be getting the labor charge ..

$160 axle from them, or $60 axle that i supply.. i certainly wasnt interested in their part markup

so how do you find someone or what kind of mechanic would use stuff you want them to use? what if you want some sort of aftermarket part that is better than or an upgrade to the OEM part that the mechanic would use.. who would do that work?

just looking for your thoughts/comments/discussion on this topic

OB · Post by OB » Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:45 am

Learn to wrench on your own car and these kinds of issues go out the door

If you must have someone else do the job, just try calling around. Some grease monkey will surely agree to do it, you just found a shop with a dumb policy.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 5:36 am

x2 on what Derek said... Working on your car is not all that hard.

Or have a knowledgeable friend/fellow neon owner help/guide you through on how to do it. so if you have that problem again, you know what to do.

jT · Post by jT » Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:55 am

i'm not too mechanically inclined. i did my axle and that took a lot longer than it should have.. but thats partly because i was using hand tools, didnt have the best tools for the job.. and it was a 90 degree day..

im at something like 115K and youre "supposed" to do the timing belt at 100K, but theres no way in hell im doing that myself.. heh..

thats just an example.. i was told i have a bad ball joint and ive seen some info here about doing it yourself ... but thats not too viable for me either.. id have to pay someone out the ass to do it :-\

Post by **racer12306** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 8:56 am

Just keep calling around. You should be able to find one.

ragek23 · Post by **ragek23** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:03 am

in some towns with lots of garages there are competitive markets so there are cheaper garages. I found a cheaper garage in the Rochester area that pays $10 less an hour than your avg. midas garage.

oklamopar · Post by **oklamopar** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:03 am

I don't do customer supplied parts for several reasons.
1: wrong part, have to wait until you get correct part, puts me behind and kills bay space. and not fair to the tech.
2: NO WARRANTY. if you have starter installed and it lasts 2 weeks and fails. you have to pay labor again. where as i give 6mo to a year labor warranty when part purchased threw me.
3: I'm in business to make $$$$. I'm responsible for 4 families at our shop. I don't charge a 200% markup like dealers and some corporates, but i do try and make at least 15 percent. most the time its like $15.00 on parts.

best thing is to find someone to help you.

Side Note: I started working on cars with my grandfather when i was 7 so i have an advantage of cutting teeth in the field.
However. with a quality set of tools and a good manual, and of course some dexterity anyone can do the basic repairs.

:edit: are shop rate is $62 hr. about average

Crashin · Post by **Crashin** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:36 am

:edit: are shop rate is $62 hr. about average

DAMN that's good! Around here it's $92, haven't seen prices like that in over 10 years! lol

bombtrack07 · Post by **bombtrack07** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 12:45 pm

Crashin wrote:
:edit: are shop rate is $62 hr. about average
DAMN that's good! Around here it's $92, haven't seen prices like that in over 10 years! lol

the shop that I go to (when I or my daddy - who is a mechanic - cant work on it) charges $50 flat rate for labor and the owner/main mechanic installs parts that I bring to him.

hooray for living in the mountains where the cost of living is low!

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 4:57 am

Anonymous User wrote:x2 on what Derek said... Working on your car is not all that hard.

That's all well and good for people who are mechanically inclined but it's not an option for me. I am a total klutz and have spatial problems (getting right and left confused- I'm dead serious). Those who don't understand make me out to be slow or something but that isn't the case. What's worse is that my late father could repair anything so, if there is such a thing as a handyman gene, I didn't inherit it. Therefore, I have to depend on someone else to fix my car.

bombtrack07 · Post by **bombtrack07** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 7:50 am

^^^ sounds like natural selection screwed you over

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 3:39 am

Sad but true.[/off-topic]

bone-yard-racing · Post by **bone-yard-racing** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 12:43 pm

A good dealer espicaly one that knows enthusiast cars can be your best friend. When I was seriously looking for a 510 my local nissan dealer was very helpful espicaly when it came to locating all parts for the engine swap. A good general shop can be of help to you, get to know the manager/foreman/and the techs and chances are they will let you bring your own parts and if you get really good with a specific car they may even call you about problems with other cars in the shop.